The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat, Young Readers Edition Author: Visit Amazon's Michael Pollan Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0803735006 | Format: PDF
The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat, Young Readers Edition Description
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up—Based on Pollan's best-selling adult book of the same title, this (slightly) shortened version will appeal to thoughtful, socially responsible teens. The book is divided into four sections: "The Industrial Meal" (exemplified by the fact that only two companies, Cargill and ADM, buy nearly a third of all the corn grown in the U.S.); "The Industrial Organic Meal" (covering most of what's found in stores like Whole Foods); "Local Sustainable" (small farms typically based on grass, not corn); and what he calls the "Do-It-Yourself Meal" (where he hunts a wild pig and gathers wild mushrooms). Pollan has done an amazing amount of research, both of the typical kind (there are 16 pages of footnotes) and the more personal kind. His own research includes slaughtering a chicken himself and eating a fast-food meal in a moving car with his family. He explains complicated issues clearly, offers compelling evidence of the environmental damage done by what he calls the industrial meal, and urges readers not to look away from animal-welfare issues: "We can only decide if we know the truth." An afterword, "Vote with Your Fork," recommends simple actions that will improve the health of our bodies, our society, and our planet.—
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL END
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
"Not every volume will change a reader's life, but this one just might...lively writing rooted in fascinating examples make this accessible and interesting." --
Kirkus"[W]ill appeal to thoughtful, socially responsible teens." --
School Library Journal"[T]his book uses a recipe of science, history, and humor to create an edifying yet entertaining story." --
Horn Book"Young readers--and older ones, too--will find their thinking about food forever changed." --
VOYA See all Editorial Reviews
- Age Range: 10 and up
- Grade Level: 5 and up
- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Dial; Reprint edition (October 15, 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0803735006
- ISBN-13: 978-0803735002
- Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Industrial food is not just at the local fast food restaurant. it is also at our grocery stores. Food is made to taste better and have a longer shelf life, but is the chemicals and preservatives we use really worth the health risk? Do we know where our meat comes from, the diet of the cows before they go to the slaughter and become our hamburger and steak? This book is an eye opening education. You can read the adult version, "The Omnivore's Dilemma, A History of Four Meals" also. Michael Pollan, the book's author is not trying to make us all into vegetarians, although he did try that lifestyle for a short period of time and then went back to eating meat. The point is to be informed about our food, because diet is just as important as exercise. You cannot put empty calories and lots of high fructose corn syrup and genetically modified food into our bodies and then be surprised at the poor body figure we now have.
Also have a look into sustainable farming and learn why our current methods of producing food cannot last forever. Why do we dump fossil fuels on our fields? What does this do to the ecosystem of the land, the soil? Also, learn why we cannot go back to using cow manure for fertilizer. Why is it (the cow manure) so toxic to the soil and to us? What is genetically modified corn and other grain doing to our field and why can't we control it from going into other fields? Perhaps industrial food and industrial farming needs to change. Why do farmers over produce and why can they never get compensated for their grain and make a living?
When you are through reading this book, Michael Pollan appears in the movie, "Food Inc." which is a great movie to continue on your way in discovering the problem with many American foods.
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